White and Red Poppies?

Question

Hey again guys

Just looking through the good old Beeb websites and foudn this article about the Disabled Servicemen who make poppies

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/closeup/qa_poppies.shtml

Now, my question is to supporters of the White Poppy.You believe it symbolises peace, so does that make the majority who wear Red supporters of war? Also, how do you justify the a private company making the Poppies, compared to the Leigon, who employ disabled servicemen, giving them a job and a lifeline?

Sundae, where do i start. Firstly, how is it glorifying war to wear a symbol of remembrance? The vast majority of people who were slaughtered in the war had no choice, they fought because it was considered their duty. Secondly, this whole 'you know the score' crap. Thats just greed talking, are you seriously against fundign a charity to help veterans? If you are, your a pretty miserable excuse of a Citizen

Answer 1

i think red poppies glorify war, and just glorifying it every damn year encourages folk to think that warmongering is good - which it's not. And I don't see why we still are coughing up to fund these people who made the decision to sign up for the forces in the first place. You know the score when you join up - don't expect everyone else to pick up the pieces...

Oh, and I make my own white poppy - it's called recycling ;-)

Answer 2

The red poppies are a symbol of rememberance for those who fought for us and our freedom. It commemorates people of ALL religions as it is not just Christians who have fought for us! The flower and colour comes from the poppies growing on the Fields Flanders after WW1 and this is when the Poppy Appeal began. This is some petty think tank trying to turn the Poppy and the work of the Royal British Legion into a Christian symbol and organisation which they are not whilst trying to sound PC. This is wrong, I will not wear a white Poppy I will wear (I actually am!) wear a RED one. THe white one is supposed to symbolise peace and the red war apparently well if thats the case I'm remembering how horrific war actually is and will try to learn from the confilcts of the past to prevent them in the future!

Answer 3

The red poppy as a symbol comes from the poppies in the fields in Flanders where were buried many lost in WWI. Wearing this poppy signifies remembrance of those lost and certainly does not mean you are in favour of war, often perhaps the opposite. The white poppy has recently been adopted by the peace movement, perhaps from a mistaken notion that the red poppy is necessarily warlike.

Read the poem, "In Flander's Fields."

"In Flanders' Fields the poppies grow
Between the crosses, row on row ......."

I guess anyone can make imitaion poppies if they want, but I would prefer to support the servicemen and the peace people.

Answer 4

Poppies grow best when the ground is disturbed, so after 4 years of turbulence in the fields of Flanders, and the war ended, the red poppies grew in wild abundance. This is why it had been chosen as a symbol of all those who made the supreme sacrifice. Firstly for WW1, then WW2, and now in all conflicts. The money from the poppy sales goes to the British Legion, who give much needed assistance to all ex forces personnel.

My father served in Kohima in WW2, and when he died last month, instead of flowers we requested donations to to British Legion. Shame on the white poppy brigade, they have no place in Armistice Day.

Answer 5

as an ex navy girl father in the army, brother in the navy, husband in us navy, son in us air force the very thought of wearing a white poppy would be akin to treason IMO..........when my children where younger a certain school TRIED to push the selling of White poppies ONLY............yet another tree hugging idiot teaching our kids.............at that point my brother was in the Falklands being shot at, so take a wild guess as to how that plan of action went down..............lets just say that RED poppies where the ONLY ones sold................

To give you a reply....the white ones IMO are VERY much like the white feathers of yesteryear where the cowards wear or are sent them............personally can never see the red ones ever being overtaken by the ***** white ones.

Answer 6

i dont give a toss, what the colour, it doesnt really matter, i like your bit about it gives the old timers somrething to do..
a job n a lifeline, dont we, as a nation, just look after our retired war heroes just fine n dandy eh!!
bet they'd rather a decent pension, n respect from the younger generation..

Answer 7

I always have worn the red poppy and will continue to do so xx

Answer 8

I agree .poppies should stay red,and perhaps the bloke who prefers dafs is a bit of a fairy.

Answer 9

I don't mind, so long as the money donated is going to the right people.

Answer 10

I only sell red ones, and it will only cost ya a buck